Cameo Cake

Cameo Cake

If ever there was a cake so irresistible, so rich and creamy, and, oh, so good, its this one. White Chocolate and toasted pecans mix together for a dessert that looks as if it requires hours in the kitchen, but it doesn;t. To delight the eye, as well as the taste buds, accent your cake with homemade crystallized violas, shaved white chocolate, or pecans. I tell you how to create these easy, festive looks suitable for any occasion.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 - cups butter
3/4    - cup water
1       - (4-ounce) bar white chocolates, broken into pieces*
1 1/2 - cups buttermilk
4       - large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 - teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/2 - cups all-purpose four, divided
1       - cup chopped pecans, toasted
2 1/4 - cups sugar
1 1/2 - teaspoons baking soda
         - white choclate cream cheese frosting

Garnishes: crystallized violas with leaves, shaved white chocolate, or toasted chopped pecans


Procedure:

Step 1
- Combine butter and water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, remove from heat. Add white chocolate, stirring until the chocolate melts. Stir in buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla, set aside.

Step 2
- Combine 1/2 cup flour and 1 cup pecans, stirring to coat, set aside.

Step 3
- Combine remaining 3 cups flour, sugar, and soda in a large bowl, gradually stir in white chocolate mixture. Fold in pecan mixture. (Batter will be thin). Pour into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans.

Step 4
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes, remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.

Step 5
- Soread white chocolate cream cheese frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Store in refrigerator. Garnish, if desired.

Yeild: one 3 layer cake.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1       - (4-ounce) bar white chocolate*
1       - (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1       - (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/3    - cup butter or margarine, softened
6 1/2 - cups sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 - teaspoons vanilla extract


Procedure:

Step 1
- Melt chocolate in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, cool 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 2
- Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add chocolate beating constantly until blended. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating unti smoot. Stir in vanilla.

Yeild:
- about 5 cups.

* For the white chocolate, we used Ghirardelli.

White Chocolate Tips
- Use quality, well-known brands of white chocolate for your recipes. Traditionally, white chocolate contains cocoa butter but no cocoa solids.

- Melt white chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly.

- Caution: Overheating white chocolate may cause loss of flavor and a coarse, grainy texture.


CHOPPED PECAN COATING
To coat the sides of cake with chopped pecans, place the first layer on a 9-inch cardboard cake circle covered with frosting. Spread frosting between layers, and place 3 long wooden picks or skewers into cake to hold layers together. Frost sides, chill 30 minutes. Spread toasted chopped pecans on wax paper. Carefully hold cake on the top and bottom, and roll forsted sides in pecans, being careful not to rest cake on pecans. (Fosting may stick to wax paper.) Remove wooden picks, and spread frosting on top. (Pecans may also be added by scooping nuts into the palm of your hand and pressing them up against the sides of the cake, allowing the excess to fall.)

CRYSTALLIZED FLOWERS
To crystallized edible flowers, such as violas or roses, brush petals lightly with lemon juice. Using a small wiremesh strainer, sprinkle petals with superfine sugar. (Superfine sugar is sugar.) Let flowers dry, and store at room temperature up to 8 hours. Do not refrigerate. (Crystallized flowers, such as violets and pansies, can be purchased ready-made, however they are easy to make for a fraction of the cost.)

SHAVED WHITE CHOCOLATE
To achieve the white chocolate shaving pattern, use this stencil technique. Cut 4 strips of wax paper longer than the width of the cake. Frost cake on top and sides, and arrange the wax paper strips at evenly spaced intervals across the top of the cake, set aside. Prepare shavings by drawing a vegetable peeler across the long edge of a white choclate bar. Sprinkle shavings onto exposed frosting on top cak, carefully remove wax paper strips.